Bac Ha is known for having two famous varieties of plums, Tam Hoa and Ta Van. Tam Hoa variety bloom predominantly in the district center from January to late February, coinciding with the flowering of Ta Van blossoms in higher elevations, notably highlighting Ta Van Chu Village as the prime location.
Ta Van Chu Village is about 20 kilometers northwest of Bac Ha district center and 115 kilometers from Sa Pa Town. Nested near the communes of Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai districts, it is located close to regional markets such as Coc Ly, Lung Phinh, and Can Cau.
Every year, during the plum blossom season in Ta Van Chu, Nguyen Van Gioi, a 36-year-old tourism professional from Lao Cai, visits the village for photography.
Access to the village from the district center is convenient, suitable for both motorbikes and high-clearance cars. With its pleasant weather, Ta Van Chu has become a favored destination for tourists and photographers in search of spring scenes.
Visiting the village at the end of February, Gioi was greeted by vibrant plum blossoms painting the villager’s gardens white.
He said that this year’s floral display surpassed previous years, with clusters of old plum trees blooming simultaneously, enhancing the white landscape.
Plum flowers grow in clusters on branches. They are smaller than peach blossoms, with each having five white petals and a yellow pistil. This year, the plum blossom season in Ta Van Chu is believed to last until mid-March.
Some plums gardens may charge visitors an entrance fee of VND20,000 (80 U.S. cents) per person, while others are free of charge. Visitors can rent traditional national costumes for photography at VND50,000 ($2) per set, Gioi said.
Upon arrival in Ta Van Chu, visitors will be greeted by villagers adorned in vibrant traditional brocade, relaxing beneath the canopy of plum trees, or residing in their trinh tuong houses constructed from a blend of clay and mud, topped with yin-yang tile roofs.
Despite primarily speaking the Hmong language with limited understanding of Vietnamese, the locals still welcome tourists with utmost warmth. For a deeper insight of the local life and culture, travelers are suggested to hire a local guide.
To capture the best photographs, visitors are advised to plan their visit to Ta Van Chu on sunny days.
During these times, the landscape presents the most picturesque scenes, with white plum blossoms contrasting against the yellow mustard flowers.
Since 2006, Ta Van Chu Village has been designated as a Hmong ecological village model project by the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province.
Currently, the village offers limited restaurants or accommodations. Visitors are encouraged to bring food and beverages for a daytime trip to Bac Ha Town.
